Residents in Kyiv asked to stay indoors as air pollution blankets Ukrainian capital

Kyiv faces severe air pollution from wildfires, prompting health warnings and advice to stay indoors.

Authorities in Ukraine advised residents in the capital Kyiv to stay indoors Friday (September 20, 2024) as air pollution, partly caused by fires in the region, blanketed the city.

Ukraine's Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources said the pollution was a result of the burning of peatlands and other wildfires in the region combined with autumn temperature fluctuations.

The capital woke up to thick smog with the rancid smell of blazing fires in the air. Some people were spotted wearing masks.

Also Read: Ukraine war’s environmental toll to take years to clean up

The Ukrainian capital topped a list of the most polluted major cities early Friday (September 20) in a real-time database by IQAir, a Swiss company that monitors air quality levels. Its air quality appeared to have improved somewhat since as the city came down in the ranking later in the day.

Kyiv's Department of Environmental Protection and Climate Change said that “the likely cause of this is fires in the Kyiv region.”

Fires have been reported in the Vyshhorod district, around 20km (around 12 miles) north of the capital.